Volunteers

Volunteers are people who work without being paid for working. Why would anyone do that? Some work to gain experience, Some work for fun. Some work to give something back to an agency or organization that has made their life better. Most FWS volunteers work because they love the resources we protect- -plus one or more of the prior reasons!

There are an amazing number and variety of national wildlife refuges and national fish hatcheries in the Southeast. And, volunteer opportunities are just as numerous and just as diverse! Are you looking for a student internship? Is there a national wildlife refuge or fish hatchery right down the road from where you live? You could be a local volunteer! Do you have time to donate, but can't go to a refuge or hatchery? Some stations even have "distance volunteers". Are you a resident volunteer, you're in luck! They're one of the fastest growing types of volunteers in the Fish and Wildlife Service. Regardless of your situation, there are volunteer opportunities for you in the Southeast Region of the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. You just need to be a team player, have a great attitude, and get in touch with the right person.

To find the perfect volunteer opportunity for you, try these ideas:

Visit individual refuge web sites. If you know the refuge name, you may substitute the name into this web address: http://www.fws.gov/refugename, such as http://www.fws.gov/alligatorriver. If you don't know the name of the refuge, but you'd like to explore opportunities in a particular state in the southeast, you may begin at our Southeast Region web site, and choose the state of interest from the colored bars at the top. If the state you seek is not in the southeast, you may start your adventure at our national site and search for refuges by state.

Some states have Fish and Wildlife Service state sites that you may access by substituting any state into this web address: http://www.fws.gov/statename, such as http://www.fws.gov/northcarolina. In the Southeast Region, Alabama and Georgia have State sites.

If you're in love with the Southeast and all else fails, you may contact the Regional Volunteer Coordinator, Deborah Jerome (404-679-7170), and she'll offer advice specific to your situation.

Or visit the National Volunteer Database. This site has search tools that will allow to access to hundreds of volunteer positions across the country. It includes volunteer positions at most federal agencies, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.